Spinoff Thread: Does no one like Ariat Tall Boots Anymore?

[floppyammy]

I’m starting a spin-off thread because my 12 year old Ariat field boots (so old I don’t remember what style they are anymore) are giving up the ghost. Now I looooved these boots - so much that I replaced both zippers and downgraded them to my everyday schooling boots, until the leather started completely giving way in the footbed. They had the most comfortable foot bed, and wore like iron for the better part of 10+ years.

In perusing many boot threads, it seems that Ariat may have fallen out of fashion. I don’t know if that is attributable to declining quality or if it is just a fashion trend in H/J land.

I’m a bit of a curmudgeon and rarely stray away from my tried-and-true. So, what gives, H/J land? Have Ariats fallen out of favor?

[Sarah616]

Ariat’s quality seems to have gone down the drain in the last several years. All of the Ariat brand tall boots that I have encountered are like cardboard, so stiff and difficult to break in, not to mention they tend to be super wide in the ankle now. Almost like a cankle situation on most people. I have 100% stopped recommending Ariat to riders.

[Mercedes2]

I bought a pair of Ariat Heritage tall boots (I think those are the entry-level tall boots they make) because I loved my paddock boots so much. Honestly, it’s like my tall boots and paddock boots are from two different brands. My paddocks are rock stars and have held up through so much but my tall boots started looking worn after less than six months. I know $300 isn’t a lot for tall boots but $300 is a decent chunk of change and I expected better from the leather. They’re comfortable enough and fit me fine but would I buy another pair? Probably not.

[sherian]

another comment that ariat’s quality has really dropped the last few years in both tall boots and paddock boots. Though I think it’s not just Ariat, I find for a lot of manufacturers the leather quality has gone down hill, in both boots and strap goods.

[Scribbler]

Ariat had one big quality drop, I understand, when the founders sold the company, before I returned to riding 15 years ago.

I don’t know how they have weathered the past 2 years because supply chain issues have meant that they haven’t been stocked at Greenhawk and most styles are unavailable even online. I did see their budget boot IRL which was mixed fabric and leather upper, and it was not to my standards.

I replaced my barnyard twin gore paddock boots in January 2021 but that was old stock and they are fine.

I wonder if Ariat is even going to continue with English boots?

[Jo]

I’m pretty disappointed, TBH. Ariats work best for me with fit and feel, and I purchased a pair of Kinsleys last October. They are cracking and building a hole along the sole. I was actually going to reach out to Ariat this week to ask if there’s anything to do to mitigate the damage, but for such an expensive pair of boots that I’ve taken really good care of… I’m disappointed.

[AllSport]

This makes me so sad!!!
Mine are several years old and beginning to show it. I was just thinking how I might need to gradually start looking into getting another pair. I have loved these boots so much! Now you’re telling me I can’t replace them with basically the same thing :o(

[173north]

I worked at an Ariat retailer for years. Their quality has gone down, their prices have gone up, and at the same time, a LOT of new competitors have shown up with comparable or superior offerings.

I love my Monacos - I still wear them 5 or 6 days a week and they are holding up beautifully. None of their high-end boots since have measured up. The Divino, which was meant to be Ariat’s answer to the $1k Italian boots on the market, was a total flop… they messed up the footbed fit and so the shoe itself was too narrow for 99% of consumers.

The Heritage boot was an okay option when they were $299, as for a long time there wasn’t much else decent on the market at that price point. Now those are $340 (plus tax) and are really of mediocre quality, but you can get a very nice boot, made in Italy, from DeNiro for $400 or $500, or a mediocre TuffRider boot for $250. If you have a $500+ budget I have no idea why you would buy Ariat - the leather quality and fit at other brands is far superior.

Plus, part of their business model is that unless a style is an absolute runaway hit, they change all the styles every few years. It’s a common fashion/retail strategy but it’s silly to do with tall boots, where trends don’t change often, people have strong opinions about what they like, and a pair should technically last you years. If you have an old pair of Ariats you love, by the time they need to be replaced, that style no longer exists - and all their boots fit differently - so you have to go shop around, and very well may find a better choice from another brand. Whereas Parlanti, for example, makes it easy - they just keep making those Miami boots, and people buy and re-buy as theirs wear out.

[phosics]

+1 to all of this. Especially the styles, they change them so quickly that it never really feels like they have any solid staple models that just stick around. It just gives off the impression of inconsistency. I know the red zipper Volants were a HUGE hit, and people are really upset that they aren’t around anymore. I know I’d buy a pair in a heartbeat!

Also yes, quality has gone downhill while price has gone up. You just really don’t get a lot of bang for your buck with Ariat boots anymore compared to what you can find in other brands, like you mentioned.

I bought a pair of Heritage Contours back when they were like $280 in 2012, and I still have them and use them (there was a 7 year gap in riding in there to be fair). They were fine when I was younger and even though they still technically fit fine, they are hell on my feet - rub my ankles in all these weird spots, give me a massive blister behind one of my knees. I have heard of other people having the same issue with pairs of Ariats over time. That combined with the cheapy feeling and look of their boots nowadays pushed me to spend a couple extra dollars for a BEAUTIFUL pair of Deniros that was a much better value.

[Jealoushe]

Agree with posts above.

I’m not a big spender on boots…so $400 is a lot for them to me.

I had 2 pairs of Ariats that died within a year. The tongues rotted to nothing, laces fell out, zippers busted by year 2.

The quality and price don’t match.

[beowulf]

Okay – so I have asked this before but not really gotten a solid answer. What brand can I buy that will last me ten years? Bonus if I can still use it when I’m hunting in my 70s… I’m willing to drop $500.

FWIW I don’t think Ariat’s problem is unique. A lot of durability is sacrificed at the price of trendy leather and comfort. I feel the same way about MH, Tredstep, Parlanti, and other competitors on the market too.

[HJdaydream]

@beowulf

Okay – so I have asked this before but not really gotten a solid answer. What brand can I buy that will last me ten years? Bonus if I can still use it when I’m hunting in my 70s… I’m willing to drop $500.

I’ve never had any for 10 yrs, but I have been most impressed with my semi custom Deniro field boots. I do not know if the off the rack ones are the same quality.

I got them in 2016. 3 years in the zippers gave out. Deniro sent me 2 pairs of new zippers free of charge. I had a local cobbler replace them for $80 and you couldn’t even tell they were repaired. The zippers just started to show signs of needing to be replaced again last month. I still have the second pair of zippers that Deniro sent, so I will probably spend another $80 to have them repaired again. They tongues have small holes I might also get fixed, even though they aren’t really noticeable. I’ve also replaced the laces once. The boots are otherwise in excellent condition.

Boots were $850 new. 5 years in I’m about to be on my 2nd zipper repair at $80 x 2, and a pair of laces was $10. Assuming these new zippers last another 2 years like the first replacement pair did, that will be 7 years of use for… $1,020 or $146/yr. Not bad in my book. No idea if they will make it to 10 yrs, abut I wouldn’t be surprised. The leather is quality.

Small caveat: I have other pairs of boots, but these are my MAIN riding pair that I use most often. I’m an ammy though and don’t ride nearly as much as a pro.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

@Jealoushe

I had 2 pairs of Ariats that died within a year. The tongues rotted to nothing, laces fell out, zippers busted by year 2.

Same! Two pairs, both rotted (the sole separated from the boot, and the leather was getting spongey and dissolving). And while I didn’t take white glove care of them, I did clean and changed out of them to do barn chores. I only bought the second pair of Ariats because I have short calves and am a tough fit. They were very comfortable, easy to break in, and fit well, but after the second died before the warranty expired and Ariat gave me a hard time (insisted on photos of every inch of the boots, then said I’d have to pay to ship them and for shipping of a new pair back to me), I swore them off.

[Paint_Party]

My biggest complaint with Ariat tall boots is that they have this odd shape to the calf. If you look at the profile, it pooches out, almost like the boot calf is 5 months pregnant. I find it ironic that Ariat claims that they’ve slimmed down the ankle area, yet they still keep that “boop” mid-calf. Even in the slim calf, there it is on my leg. Whose leg is conformed like that, other than Popeye?

Yet I do find the foot comfortable and they are affordable. I wouldn’t show in them (see: poofy calf syndrome, above) but I do wear them for schooling and trail rides.

[Training_Cupid]

I don’t know about more recent ones, but my 5 year old Heritage field boots are holding up very well. I haven’t even had to replace the zipper, knock on wood. I only have/ride one horse but I don’t take particularly good care of them. What I like about them: comes in short height which is perfect for me; well cushioned and roomy footbed; holding up very well. Cons: calf slightly big (short height only comes in regular calf not slim); foot also runs slightly large.
Prior to these boots, I tried cheaper ones by TuffRider and I think maybe Ovation, both of which fell apart within a year under similar care, and Tredstep boots which I sold because they were quite uncomfortable. So I am very happy with the quality of Ariat at only a slightly higher pricepoint.

[StormyDay]

I have had Ariats almost exclusively for the past 8-10 years. My pairs usually last me about 2-3 years, depending on how many horses I’m riding a day. I still love my ariats and will buy another pair when my current V Sports die.
I also have their paddock boots for mucking.
I do think that, like with any riding boot, you need to be realistic about what leather you are choosing and how long you wear them. If you are choosing calfskin leather, it’s not going to last that long. If you wear your boots for the majority of the day, expect to have to buy a new pair every year.

[foursocks]

I gave up on Ariat tall boots a while ago, and then was seduced back because my beloved Mountain Horse were getting way too expensive and the quality went down. But I immediately regretted it and have sworn off new Ariats again. I even tried just the paddocks (Gore H2O), and they fell apart within a few months, without getting much use other than just going to the barn (I ride in tall boots).

I ended up randomly finding an amazing pair of older barely-used Monacos for a fraction of the price. I’m in love, but that was a one-off. I hope they will last a bit longer than the pairs I’ve had previously. I don’t want to have to buy a new pair of tall boots every year for daily riding. I ride one horse a day on average and take care of my boots, and yet they all fall apart within a year. It’s ridiculous.

[Spudsmyguy]

I’ve never had a problem with the Ariat tall boots I’ve had, one pair I bought used and it lasted at least 10 years and then I sold them on to someone else. A pair I bought before my current pair were the Heritage I think. Lovely boots but gave me blisters so I sold them too. Replaced them with a different pair, I think the Sport that used to have the blue tops. So far, they’ve been working really well for me the few times I’ve worn them. Usually I wear half chaps and paddocks for schooling and only break out the tall boots for showing or clinics.

[Rel6]

In addition to what everyone else has said, I think another issue with Ariat is limited size options. I spent 10+ years wishing they made a short/slim boot before finding a brand that did. So many “off the shelf” boots are virtually semi-customizable with how many size options they offer, and I think that has left Ariat behind.

[Training_Cupid]

Really? I feel like more brands don’t offer “short” (under 18 inch) heights off the shelf at all, Ariat was one of the few that did in the mid price range.